Information processing method, information processing apparatus and storage medium storing program

The present application is a continuation application of International Application number PCT/JP2022/036849, filed on Sep. 30, 2022, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C § 119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-168031, filed on Oct. 13, 2021, contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The present disclosure relates to an information processing method, an information processing apparatus, and a storage medium storing a program for managing configuration of a wireless communication service provided using a wireless communication infrastructure of an MNO.

There are a large number of wireless access technologies for IoT devices due to an increasing demand for wireless connectivity of various devices to an IP network such as the Internet. The 3GPP (Registered Trademark), a standards organization for wireless communications, developed the LTE-M and NB-IoT as standards based on LTE technology for cellular Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) which are now in commercial use.

Low-power consumption has been generally desired in IoT devices, and, for cellular LPWA, the 3GPP standardized the Power Saving Mode (PSM) in Release 12, and the extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) in Release 13.

In the PSM, a hibernate state is defined as a state of an IoT device, in addition to a connected (RRC_CONNECTED) state and an idle (RRC_IDLE) state. In the hibernate state, the minimum information collection performed in the idle state, such as paging reception and neighboring cell search are not performed, and power consumption is suppressed by switching off a power supply of a circuit used for information collection, such as an RF circuit or a baseband circuit. It is possible to set a first period Tactive that starts when an IoT device enters the idle state and continues until it transitions to the hibernate state and a second period Tpsm that starts when an IoT device enters the idle state and continues until it exits from the hibernate state. When the second period Tpsm has elapsed or when an IoT device wants to resume communication, the IoT device in the hibernate state performs a Tracking Area Update (TAU), which is a procedure of updating location information of the device, stored in a Mobility Management Entity (MME).

Under the current specifications, the second period Tpsm can be set for up to 310 hours.

With the eDRX, it is specified that power consumption in the idle state is suppressed by temporarily switching off a power supply of a circuit such as an RF circuit or a baseband circuit, after the first period Tptw has elapsed from a certain point in time, and until a second period Tedrx elapses from that same certain point in time. Under the current specifications, the second period Tedrx can be set for up to 10485.76 seconds. It should be noted that the subscript of Tptw is an acronym of “paging time window.”

It is possible to suppress power consumption in an IoT device by using functions compliant with the PSM and eDRX standards, but a subscriber of a wireless communication service used by the IoT device may want to set a desired value for each of the above-described periods according to the respective needs.

1 FIG. However, a value of a parameter ultimately set for an IoT device varies depending on a policy of each carrier, that is, a Mobile Network Operator (MNO), and is determined by a facility included in a wireless communication infrastructure of the MNO. Therefore, the policy is unknown to a mobile virtual network operator (see) such as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) and a Virtual Mobile Network Operator (VMNO) that provide a wireless communication service for accessing an IP network such as the Internet using a wireless communication infrastructure of an MNO. If a Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE), which provides a support service for smooth operation of an MVNO or a VMNO, intervenes between the MNO and the MVNO or VMNO, the policy is similarly unknown to the MVNE.

The present disclosure focuses on this point, and an object thereof is to determine what decision procedure is used in an MNO for values of one or more parameters used in a low-power consumption state in an information processing method, an information processing apparatus, and a storage medium storing a program for managing configuration of a wireless communication service provided using a wireless communication infrastructure of an MNO.

Under the current specifications, it should be noted that states for reducing power consumption include an idle state and a hibernate state, and two different parameter values or timer values can be set for each state, but the states include those defined by future specifications, which are more generally referred to as a “low-power consumption state” herein.

An information processing method of a first aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method, executed by a server, for managing configuration of a wireless communication service provided using a wireless communication infrastructure of an MNO, the method includes requesting a subscriber information database to be configured to store a second setting value, which is different from a first setting value of a parameter stored in a subscriber terminal with a SIM and used in a low-power consumption state, in association with a subscriber identifier included in the SIM, transmitting to the subscriber terminal a request for a detachment of the subscriber identifier, the detachment necessitating a reattachment, receiving a reattachment completion notification from the MNO via the subscriber information database, requesting, from the subscriber terminal, a third setting value of the parameter after reattachment, and determining, at least partially, a decision procedure of a value of the parameter in the MNO by using the first setting value, the second setting value, and the third setting value.

An information processing apparatus of a second aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus for managing configuration of a wireless communication service provided using a wireless communication infrastructure of an MNO, wherein the apparatus requests a subscriber information database to be configured to store a second setting value, which is different from a first setting value of a parameter stored in a subscriber terminal having a SIM and used in a low-power consumption state, in association with a subscriber identifier included in the SIM, the apparatus transmits a request for a detachment of the subscriber identifier, the detachment necessitating a reattachment, to the subscriber terminal, and receives a reattachment completion notification from the MNO via the subscriber information database, the apparatus requests, from the subscriber terminal, a third setting value of the parameter after reattachment, and the apparatus determines, at least partially, a decision procedure of a value of the parameter in the MNO by using the first setting value, the second setting value, and the third setting value.

A storage medium of a third aspect of the present disclosure is a non-transitory storage medium for storing a program for causing a server to execute an information processing method for managing configuration of a wireless communication service provided using a wireless communication infrastructure of an MNO. The information processing method includes the steps of requesting a subscriber information database to be configured to store a second setting value, which is different from a first setting value of a parameter stored in a subscriber terminal having a SIM and used in a low-power consumption state, in association with a subscriber identifier included in the SIM, transmitting to the subscriber terminal a request for a detachment of the subscriber identifier, the detachment necessitating a reattachment, receiving a reattachment completion notification from the MNO via the subscriber information database, requesting, from the subscriber terminal, a third setting value of the parameter after reattachment, and determining, at least partially, a decision procedure of a value of the parameter in the MNO by using the first setting value, the second setting value, and the third setting value.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described through exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, but the following exemplary embodiments do not limit the claimed disclosure, nor are all of the combinations of features described in the exemplary embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution means of the disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

2 FIG. 200 210 200 shows a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. An apparatusincluded in the system is an information processing apparatus for managing configuration of a wireless communication service using a wireless communication infrastructure of an MNO, and can communicate with a subscriber terminalhaving a SIM. The apparatusis a computer, for example. Various methods of communication for the wireless communication service are possible, but one preferred example is communication using SMS.

210 200 210 220 2 FIG. In the subscriber terminal, it is sufficient to respond to a request described below from the apparatusif a telephone number from which an SMS is sent is a predetermined number. Further, the subscriber terminalcommunicates with the MME, which is a facility included in a wireless communication infrastructure of an MNO, in order to establish a communication connection via a cellular system such as cellular LPWA using its SIM. As used herein, a “system” includes at least some of a plurality of components shown in.

210 220 220 230 230 More specifically, the subscriber terminaltransmits an attach request to the MME, and the MMEhaving received the attach request makes a request called an Update Location Request (ULR), including a subscriber identifier such as an IMSI included in the attach request, to the HSS. The HSSstores subscriber information and location information in association with the subscriber identifier, and the subscriber information may include setting values of one or more parameters used in a low-power consumption state.

230 220 220 210 220 An Update Location Answer (ULA) is transmitted from the HSSto the MMEas a response to the ULR, and the ULA may include a setting value of at least some of the one or more parameters. The MMEhaving received the ULA transmits a notification, indicating that an attachment has been made, to the subscriber terminal. The notification includes the setting values of one or more parameters used in the low-power consumption state determined in the MME.

200 200 200 Although the current specification includes four kinds of parameters, the following description will focus on any one parameter for simplicity. Further, it is preferable that the apparatusdetermines the decision procedure in the MNO using the management method according to the present embodiment for all parameters, but advantages of the present disclosure can be obtained even if the apparatusinfers the decision procedure for only some parameters (if the apparatusmakes a determination for at least a portion).

210 220 210 210 230 220 The attach request transmitted from the subscriber terminalincludes a setting value of a parameter used in a low-power consumption state. The MMEdetermines, in accordance with a policy for each MNO, a value to be set for the subscriber terminalfrom among a value received from the subscriber terminal, a value received from the HSS, and a value preset in the MME.

200 230 200 230 200 230 The apparatuscan communicate with the HSS, for example, by being compliant with HTTP, and more specifically, using a REST API. The apparatusand the HSSare a facility of an MVNO or an MVNE that provides a wireless communication service using a wireless communication infrastructure of an MNO, for example. The apparatusis one or more instances on a cloud or public cloud, for example. The HSSmay also be one or more instances on the same or different cloud or public cloud.

As used herein, a “cloud” refers to a system capable of dynamically provisioning computing resources such as CPUs, memory, storage, and network bandwidth, and providing these computing resources on a network according to demand. For example, a cloud can be used by AWS (registered trademark) or the like. Further, a “public cloud” refers to a cloud that can be used by a plurality of tenants.

200 201 202 203 200 The apparatusincludes a communication unitsuch as a communication interface, a processing unitsuch as a processor or a CPU, and a storage unitincluding a storage device or a storage medium such as a memory or a hard disk, and executes a program for performing each process. The apparatusmay include one or more devices, computers, instances, or servers.

204 203 200 202 203 204 The program may include one or more programs, and may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium as a non-transitory program product. The program can be stored in a storage device or a storage medium such as a databaseaccessible from the storage unitor the apparatusvia an IP network, and can be executed by the processing unit. Data described below as being stored in storage unitmay be stored in the databaseand vice versa.

In the above description, the technical terms “MME” and “HSS” that have thus far been used for 4G. For 5G, the former corresponds to “Access and Mobility management Function (AMF)” and the latter corresponds to “Unified Data Management (UDM)” and “Unified Data Repository (UDR).” Although the terms MME and HSS are used in the following description, the technical terminology is subject to change with developments in communication standards and does not exclude equivalent functions. MME is more generally referred to as “mobility management facility” and HSS is more generally referred to as “subscriber information database.”

200 200 210 210 301 302 200 210 3 FIG. 3 FIG. The processing flow in the apparatuswill be described below with reference to.shows a management method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. First, the apparatusrequests, from the subscriber terminal, a first setting value A of a parameter stored in the subscriber terminaland used in the low-power consumption state (S), and receives the first setting value A (S). This step is not necessarily required if the apparatushas already stored the first setting value A. The first setting value A can be obtained by executing an AT command in the subscriber terminal.

200 230 210 303 230 Next, the apparatustransmits configuration request to the HSSto store a second setting value B, different from the first setting value A, in association with the subscriber identifier contained in the SIM of the subscriber terminal, as the value of the parameter (S). The HSSmay manage the subscriber identifier on a group basis, and may allow the value of the parameter to be maintained or changed on a group basis by specifying the group identifier.

200 220 230 304 220 210 305 The apparatusthen transmits a Cancel Location Request (CLR) for canceling location registration of a SIM identifier to the MME, which is a facility included in the wireless communication infrastructure of the MNO, via the HSS(S). The CLR includes a designation of a need for a reattachment after cancellation of the location registration. This designation may be given by setting a “Reattach-Required” bit of the CLR-Flag, for example. The cancellation of the location registration by the CLR deletes the subscriber information in addition to the location information. The MMEthat has received the CLR transmits a detach request to the subscriber terminal(S). The detach request includes, on the basis of the designation included in the CLR, a designation of the need of a reattachment in the same manner.

210 220 306 220 230 307 230 220 308 220 210 309 220 210 200 220 230 310 312 The subscriber terminalthen transmits a reattach request to the MME(S), and the MMEtransmits a ULR to the HSS(S). The HSSreturns a ULA to the MME(S), and the MMEtransmits a notification, indicating that a reattachment has been made, to the subscriber terminal(S). This notification includes a third setting value C of the parameter determined by the MME. Then, the subscriber terminaltransmits a reattach completion notification to the apparatusvia the MMEand the HSS(Sto S).

200 210 313 314 200 315 200 The apparatus, having received the reattach completion notification, requests from the subscriber terminalthe third setting value C of the parameter after reattachment (S), and receives the third setting value C (S). Then, the apparatususes the first setting value A, the second setting value B, and the third setting value C to determine the decision procedure of the value of the parameter in the MNO (S). The apparatushas access to a program capable of executing at least a portion of an algorithm for determining the decision procedure, as described below.

210 There are the following five patterns as a procedure for deciding the parameter value to be used in the low-power consumption state from among the first setting value A, the second setting value B, and the third setting value C. Here, UE represents the subscriber terminal, and the pattern varies depending on which of the setting values stored in the UE, the MME, and the HSS is given priority.

TABLE 1 PATTERN 1ST PRIORITY 2ND PRIORITY 3RD PRIORITY 1 MME — — 2 UE MME — 3 HSS MME MME 4 UE HSS MME 5 HSS US MME

200 220 200 220 200 220 If the third setting value C is different from the first setting value A and the second setting value B, the apparatuscan determine that the MMEis employing a pattern 1. If the third setting value C is equal to the first setting value A, the apparatuscan determine that the MMEemploys the pattern 1, a pattern 2, or a pattern 4. If the third setting value C is equal to the second setting value B, the apparatuscan determine that the MMEemploys the pattern 1, a pattern 3, or a pattern 5.

220 220 200 220 200 220 If the first setting value A and the second setting value B are set to Null and a reattachment is performed, the third setting value C will be, in any pattern, a setting value preset for the parameter in the MME. If the preset value stored in the MMEor MNO is reset to a value that differs from the first setting value A and the second setting value B, then, in instances where the third setting value C is equal to the first setting value A, the apparatuscan determine that the MMEemploys the pattern 2 or the pattern 4. Similarly, if the third setting value C is equal to the second setting value B, the apparatuscan determine that the MMEemploys the pattern 3 or the pattern 5.

200 220 200 220 By further setting the first setting value A to Null when the third setting value C is equal to the first setting value A, the third setting value C will be either i) the value preset in the MNO or ii) the second setting value B, and the apparatuscan determine that the MMEemploys the pattern 2 if the former and the pattern 4 if the latter. Similarly, by further setting the second setting value B to Null when the third setting value C is equal to the second setting value B, the third setting value C will be either i) the value preset in the MNO or ii) the first setting value A, and the apparatuscan determine that the MMEemploys the pattern 3 if the former and the pattern 5 if the latter.

200 220 200 220 If the third setting value C is equal to the first setting value A when a reattachment with the first setting value A and the second setting value B set to Null is not performed beforehand, then the third setting value C will be either i) the value preset in the MNO or ii) the second setting value B by setting the first setting value A to Null, and the apparatuscan determine that MMEemploys the pattern 1 or 2 if the former and the pattern 4 if the latter. Similarly, by setting the second setting value B to Null when the third setting value C is equal to the second setting value B, the third setting value C will be either i) the value preset in the MNO or ii) the first setting value A, and the apparatuscan determine that the MMEemploys the pattern 1 or 3 if the former and the pattern 5 if the latter.

200 As described above, it is often not possible to fully determine which pattern is employed by simply setting the second setting value B, which differs from the first setting value A, and reattaching once, but by setting at least one of the first setting value A and the second setting value B to Null before or after the reattachment as necessary and reattaching, the apparatuscan determine the pattern.

230 220 210 200 In the 3GPP standard procedure, the HSSis not informed of the setting value determined by the MME, and so the MVNO or the MVNE that provides the wireless communication service using the wireless communication infrastructure of the MNO does not know what setting value the subscriber terminalis ultimately operating at, which may cause unexpected battery consumption or an unexpected failure. According to the method of the present embodiment, the apparatuscan determine the decision procedure of the setting value, and so the subscriber of the wireless communication service can perform more appropriate device management.

4 FIG. 200 401 200 402 200 403 200 404 shows an example of a determination of the decision procedure described above. First, the apparatusacquires a third setting value C1 in a state where the first setting value A and the second setting value B are set to Null (S). The value C1 acquired in this manner is the value preset by the MNO or the mobility management facility included in the communication infrastructure of the MNO. Then, the apparatusfurther acquires a third setting value C2 in a state where the first setting value A is set to a value that differs from C1 and the second setting value B is set to a value that differs from the set first setting values A and C1 (S). The apparatusverifies whether or not C2 is equal to C1 (S), and if C2 is equal to C1, determines that the pattern 1 is employed. If C2 is not equal to C1, the apparatusfurther verifies whether or not C2 is equal to A (S).

200 405 200 210 200 210 200 200 If C2 is equal to A, the apparatusacquires a third setting value C3, which is a new third setting value, in a state where the first setting value A is set to Null (S). Specifically, the apparatusfirst transmits to the subscriber terminala request to set the first setting value A to Null. The apparatustransmits to the subscriber terminala request for a detachment of the subscriber identifier, the detachment necessitating a reattachment. The apparatusreceives a reattach completion notification from the MNO via the subscriber information database. Subsequently, the apparatusacquires the third setting value C3 by requesting a new third setting value of the parameter after reattachment.

200 406 200 407 The apparatususes the new third setting value to determine the decision procedure of the value of the parameter in the MNO. Depending on whether or not C3 is equal to C1 (S), the pattern is determined to be the pattern 2 or the pattern 4. If C2 is not equal to A, the apparatusacquires a third setting value C4 in a state where B is set to Null (S).

200 210 200 210 200 200 408 Specifically, the apparatusfirst transmits to the subscriber terminala request to set the second setting value B to Null. The apparatustransmits to the subscriber terminalthe request for the detachment of the subscriber identifier, the detachment necessitating a reattachment. The apparatusreceives the reattach completion notification from the MNO via the subscriber information database. Subsequently, the apparatusacquires the third setting value C4 by requesting a new third setting value of the parameter after reattachment. Depending on whether or not C4 is equal to C1 (S), the pattern is determined to be the pattern 3 or the pattern 5.

200 220 200 220 200 If the apparatusdetermines in which pattern the MMEdecides the setting value, the apparatuspreferably stores an association between the MNO identifier and the pattern. Since a mobility management facility identifier, such as a host name of the MME, is included in an ULR, the apparatusmay store an association between the mobility management facility identifier and the pattern.

220 200 2 FIG. Although the MMEis illustrated as a single facility in, a plurality of MMEs may be included in the wireless communication infrastructure of the MNO. For example, the MMEs may be distributed in different regions to ensure geographical redundancy, or the MMEs may survive individually after a plurality of communication carriers are merged. Accordingly, the apparatuspreferably stores the pattern in association with both the MNO identifier and the mobility management facility identifier.

200 Since the pattern employed by the MNO may be changed without the MVNO or the MVNE being informed, the apparatuspreferably stores i) a date and time, such as a date and time when the pattern was determined and a date and time when the association was stored, together with ii) an association between the pattern and at least one of the MNO identifier and the mobility management facility identifier.

200 220 210 Further, it is assumed that the setting in the MNO may differ depending on a plan that the subscriber signed with the MVNO or the MVNE that provides the wireless communication service using the wireless communication infrastructure of the MNO. Accordingly, the apparatusmay further store i) a plan identifier for identifying the plan such as a plan name together with ii) the association between the pattern and at least one of the MNO identifier and the mobility management facility identifier. In this case, the MMEi) stores or has access to a range of subscriber identifiers subscribing to each plan, ii) selects a pattern according to the plan on the basis of the subscriber identifier included in the attach request from the subscriber terminal, and iii) determines values of one or more parameters used in the low-power consumption state according to that pattern.

220 210 It should be noted that roaming is not specifically mentioned in the above description, but the present disclosure is applicable in a similar manner even if the MMEis a mobility management facility of an MNO that is a roaming partner of an MVNO or an MVNE that issues a SIM for the subscriber terminal.

230 220 200 220 210 Further, as an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, instead of the HSStransmitting a CLR as a request for a detachment to the MME, the apparatusmay transmit a bearer deletion request, called “Delete Bearer Request,” to a PGW (not shown in figures) connected to a communication infrastructure of an MNO to cause the MMEto transmit a detach request to the subscriber terminalvia the PGW.

220 220 210 210 220 After receiving the bearer deletion request, the PGW transmits the bearer deletion request to the MMEvia the SGW (not shown in figures) included in the communication infrastructure of the MNO, and the MMEtransmits a detach request to the subscriber terminal. The bearer deletion request includes a designation of the need for reattachment after the bearer deletion. This designation may be given by setting a Cause value “Reactivation Requested,” for example. In addition, the detach request includes, on the basis of the designation included in the bearer deletion request, a designation of the need of a reattachment in the same manner. Thus, the request for detaching the subscriber identifier need only be transmitted to the subscriber terminal, and is not necessarily transmitted directly to the MME.

In the above description, the technical terms for 4G “SGW” and “PGW” are used, and “an SGW” and “a PGW” have both “a function on the C-plane” and “a function on the U-plane.” More generally, the function on the C-plane of an SGW is called “a gateway on the C-plane included in a communication infrastructure of an MNO” and the function on the U-plane is called “a gateway on the U-plane included in a communication infrastructure of an MNO.” The function on the C-plane of a PGW is called “a gateway on the C-plane connected to a communication infrastructure of an MNO,” and the function on the U-plane is called “a gateway on the U-plane connected to a communication infrastructure of an MNO.” A PGW corresponds to a facility included in a communication infrastructure of an MVNO or an MVNE. Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS) may be applied to an SGW and a PGW to separately arrange the gateway on the C-plane from the gateway on the U-plane. In 5G, “a gateway on the C-plane” corresponds to “Session Management Function (SMF),” and “a gateway on the U-plane” corresponds to “User Plane Function (UPF).”

It should be noted that in the embodiments described above, it is assumed that additional information can also be taken into account herein unless the word “only” is mentioned, such as “based only on xx,” “according to xx only” or “for xx only.” Further, as an example, it is to be noted that the statement “b in case a” does not necessarily mean “always b in case a” or “b immediately after a” unless explicitly stated. Furthermore, the phrase “each a comprising A” does not necessarily mean that A is composed of a plurality of components, and includes the fact that A is composed of a single component.

The present disclosure has been described above on the basis of the exemplary embodiments. The technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope of the embodiments described above, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications to the embodiment within the scope of the disclosure may be made. It shall be clear from the description of the claims that such changes and modifications can be included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.